


An Encyclopedia of Birds

by Anonymous



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:24:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6918133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bunch of drabbles about Harold and the names he wears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wren

Nathan knew he had exactly 3 things going for him. His looks, his brain, and his charisma. He doesn't expect to get beaten out on one of those things so thoroughly within a week of classes at MIT, though it was probably inevitable. He expects even less for the other two to be beaten out by pure country nerdiness and a pair of round wire rim glasses by one of the same guys who'd beaten his brain.

The guy calls himself Wren, hardly his real name since it takes him an extra 2.6 seconds to respond when people call him by it for the first 3 months of the semester. Harold though, he responds immediately, so that part is true.

Nathan doesn't really have it in himself to be jealous. The guy, more of a kid really, is coltish, inexplicably nervous, and jumped at ever black car that drives by like he expects the CIA to come grab him up at any time.

So he throws his arm over the kids shoulders and teaches him how to breathe, how to stand up straight and how to soar.

He kind of regrets that last part because where before maybe 6 out of 10 girls went to Harold I read of him, after it was a whopping 9 out of 10. And if that didn't sting just a bit. Wren had a sort of natural animal magnetism that simply couldn't be comprehended, Arthur had tried to console him with.

it didn't help that Harold was a little shit, whose mischievousness Nathan and Arthur had been the ones to bring out and been unable to cage once they realized what they'd done.

In the end though, Harold never really went on the steady with anyone. He stayed alone, as though he was concerned he'd just drag someone down with him when everything went to shit.

Nathan didn't let Harold pry himself away. Harold was a grade a genius and if it were up to him, he'd show the whole world. He compromised by starting a company with him after graduation where he would be the face, and Harold the brain. And if Harold was named the Godfather of his son? Well, he couldn't really be blamed for trying to give Harold more worldly connections, could he?


	2. Wren II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

Sometimes, Nathan stares at Harold when he works and wonders, which of them has changed more. Sure over the years he'd gotten a bit over his head in love, marriage, buisiness, and admittedly alcohol.

But ever since they'd picked up the project for the government, there'd been a rift, ever so slightly growing between them.

Sure it could have been attributed to the sheer amount of time they often spent in each others presences. That happened. It could also be that maybe Nathan was starting to resent the secrets as Harold grew tired of Nathan's drama.

Harold had always been paranoid, but as technology evolved, as they paved new paths, he became more so. The boy that had been so desirable in college had pulled in and away to the point where Nathan wasn't even sure Harold had even had sex. And he never was one for relationships; he was always too closed off and untrusting.

It also became apparent that the machine they were building was really more Harold's than Harold's-and-Nathan's. Sure he'd been a pretty good coder, but never on par with Harold. This big project to make the world better? He was just the face pitching and selling it. He'd gotten the contract but without Harold, the project wouldn't exist for him.

Perhaps Arthur could have done it, but they hadn't seen him in years.

Harold tells Nathan the bare minimum. It's always been that way, more or less. Perhaps it's because Nathan's always busy running the company, but theres a little voice in the back of his mind that creeps in every so often. Sometimes he wonders if he'll ever truly know his best friend.

He hushes it with booze and sex.

He's noticed extra orders for severs and cabinets and even a fire extinguisher. He doesn't ask. He really doesn't want to know.

Harold continues to build and teach at a steady pace, acting not unlike a father, not unlike he was with Will, once upon a time. Nathan knows he'd never admit it though.

A day comes where Harold is out more than he's in. It's not a problem, the machine is nearly done as far as coding goes. Occasionally Nathan goes with him. Usually to the park, every so often on a simple walk around a random area in the city.

One day it shows them a pretty redhead artist and Nathan wonders if Harold will stop being so alone, even if he's not lonely.

He clings to that even as he can hear Harold judging him over his admittedlybad habits.

Her name is Grace and Harold is smitten. He's not entirely sure how he missed it. Sure Harold hadn't told him, which hurt a bit, but usually he was good enough at spotting Harold's interests. Perhaps he'd share those hidden parts of himself with her, if not his best friend of over two decades.

And then there were the Irrelevants.

Nathan had to grit his teeth not to say something he's sorely regret, even as he was locked out of the system that was meant to be their contribution to society.

At least the damn machine knew better. Crippled as it was.

He could help people, even if he wasn't really made for it being the aging, alcoholic, billionare, computer geek, playboy that he could very well admit that he was. Even if he had to go behind his best friends back to do so.

And then that was stolen from him as well.

Harold had backed him into a corner, and maybe his best friend had always been the more rational between the two of them, but he had one last shot.

He makes an appointment with a journalist and let's Harold know, and the man for once doesn't try to stop him. He even sees him there, walking down towards the ferry with a slight smile just before there's a crashing wave of heat and pain.

At the very least he got to see him one last time, trying his best to make it up to him in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. I'll be back with two more within the month. Sorry guys.


	3. Wren III

Uncle Harold is odd, to say the least of him. Not that Will doesn't love him dearly but it's all too obvious to see how suspicious the man is.

He's soft and accommodating and smiles constantly with Will but only rarely laughs honestly, and he knows the man can lie convincingly with a smile that seems incredibly genuine on his face. Like when he said Will's parents were going to work it out, or that his dad had been drinking less.

It makes him wonder when else he's been lied to. 

The most obvious one is that the man tries to act like he's a natural born Luddite, or at least something close. And maybe a degree in math doesn't have much to do with computers but he works in one of the most successful insurance companies in the world, and was his dad's best friend. Not that his dad ever seemed to share secrets with said best friend. 

Honestly, he never wants to think the worst about the man, the man who'd stayed with him during the peak of his parent's marital collapse and constantly was around to drag him out of trouble. More than once he'd picked Will up by the back of his shirt, dusted him off and pushed him back along his chosen path. No matter how disagreeable it was to his parents, a uncle Harold always had his back. 

But that smile haunts him sometimes.

While he's dedicated to helping people, solving problems and saving lives, another reason why he so rarely returns is because of that smile. 

So no, he'll likely never return to finish his residency, and if he ever did, it wouldn't be in New York. To many bad memories, and far too close to the smile that he could never really tell when it lied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's probably it for Wren. I think...


End file.
